Attachment for child&#39;s eating utensil



May 6, 1958 P. HLOUSEK Q ATTACI-MENT FOR CHILD'S EATING UIENSIL Filed April 13, 1956 \P vv 3 INVENTOR.

BY I

United States Patent 2,333,984.! Y ATTACHlVIENT FOR CHILDS UTENSIL Paul- Hlousek, ,Omahtn; Nebr. Application April 13,1956; Serial No. 578,145 aciaim o|.,46.1 1.6

This invention relates to amusementdevices and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide 2,833,084 Patented May 6, 1958 2 22 painted thereon and having a projection 24 on the forward side thereof to represent a beak of a bird.

On the rearwardsideof the head 20 is. a recess 30 receiving a peg 32 which attachesthe head 20 to a suspending member or bar 40Which latter is preferably an elongated rigid member having an aperture 42 in its upper end for receiving a staple 44 or other suitable an amusement device attachable-to a'spoonorother eating utensil forthe amusement of ag child; during eating.

It is a, particular object of this invention to provide an. amusementdevice'havinganattra' e action responsive to movement of"'a spoon or other eating. utensilso, that a child finds, eating more" enjoyable whereby the child consumes more 'properquantitie'sof food thamwould'be the case if the'childbecomes distractedb'y other interest before eating sufiiciently.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an amusement device as described in the form of a bird house in which the head of a bird appears at an opening in the bird house upon inclination of the spoon handle. Still a further object of this invention is to provide an amusement device as described which is readily attachable to and removable from a spoon to facilitate washing of the spoon separately from the amusement device.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can beapplied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the amusement device of this invention shown attached to a spoon;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the amusement device and a portion showing the movable parts in a partially retracted position, dotted lines indicating an outer position and broken lines indicating a completely retracted position;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the amusement device taken on a plane beneath the roof thereof; and v Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through an'outer portion of the amusement device at times when a suspending member thereof is disposed in a vertical position, the section being taken along a vertical plane closely adjacent but spaced from one side of the suspending member.

This invention is an amusement device 10 for attachment to a spoon or other eating utensil 12. The amusement device 10 has an outer housing generally indicated at 12 and which can be rectangular in shape if desired with a hollow interior 14. A forward side 16 of the housing 13 is preferably normally vertically disposed and has an opening 18 therethrough for receiving an amusement member 20 therein.

The amusement member 20 is preferably in the form of a head of a bird and is preferably round, having eyes means for pivotally mounting the upper end of the suspending member 40.

The staple 44' extends upwardly into a center portion ofa roof 46 of'the housing 12.

The head 20 is normally'disposed with its lowermost surface spaced a short distance above the lowermost end 50'of the suspending member 40 which latter. is preferably adapted to swing very close to. thebottorn or base 54 of the housing 12.

The-head 20 is disposed on the suspending member 40 in a position for swinging to a position at the opening 18 andpreferably to a position'specifically partially protruding through the openinglS; whereby approximately onehalf of the head 20protrudes beyond the outer surface of the front wall 16 at times when the spoon 12 is disposed with its, forward" end substantially below its handleend.

These movements of the suspended member 40 are preferably guided by two guide members which are best seen in Figure 3. The guide members 70 are attached to and extend upwardly from the bottom 54 of the amusement member 10 which latter is attached to the sides and forms a part of the housing 13.

The guide members or rails 70 are disposed in closely spaced apart parallelism, one on each side of the suspending member 40 and closely spaced therefrom for guiding the suspended member 40 so that it swings in a plane toward and away from the aperture 18 and normal to the wall 16.

On the outer side of the wall 16 of the housing 13 is a peg 72 to simulate a rest upon which a bird could stand as is common in bird houses. The bottom wall 54 extends forwardly from the housing 13 a short distance and then inclines downwardly at an angle of approximately 15 in a down-turn forward portion or tongue 74 which latter is provided with a terminal end 76 disposed approximately in parallelism with the forward wall 16 of the housing 13 as seen in top plan view. The forward end 76 is provided with a recess 78 opening therethrough and extending into the portion 74 a substantial distance. The recess 78 is narrow from top to bottom and is elongated from side to side for receiving the usually flat handle portion of a spoon or other eating utensil.

My invention is both to be considered as an attachment for an eating utensil and also as a combination eating utensil and amusement device.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that an attachment for childs eating utensil constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. An amusement device or an attachment for a childs eating utensil comprising a housing having an opening in a side thereof, an amusement member disposed in said housing, elongated means swingably suspending said amusement member from a point in said housing disposed above said opening and spaced'inwardly of said housing from said opening, whereby, said amusement member is adaptedto swing toward and away from said opening,

and twoguide members in said housing and disposed at the lower end of said suspension member, said guide members being disposed lapping said suspension member as seen in side elevation, said guide members being disposed in parallelism and extending from afpoint directly 7 housing to the handle of said eatingutensil comprising: a member having a recess of suificient depth to snugly receive a substantial portion of the handle of the eating utensil for maintaining the device on the eating utensil,

said recess being narrow and elongated in cross-section for 90 receiving theusually fiat handle end of an eating utensil.

2. An amusement device or an attachment for a childs eating utensil comprising a housing having an opening in a side thereof, an amusement member disposed in said housing, elongated means swinga'bly suspending, said amusement member from a point in said housing disposed 4 above said opening and spaced inwardly of said housing from said opening, whereby said amusement member is adapted to swing toward and away from said opening, and guide means attached to said housing for limiting movement of the lower end of said suspension member for maintaining the swinging of said suspension member directly to and from said opening substantially in a single plane, and means for attaching said housing to the handle of said eating utensil comprising: a member having a re- 10 cess of sufiicient depth tosnugly receive a substantial portion of the handle of the eating utensil for maintaining the device on the eating utensil, said recess being narrow and elongated in cross-section for receiving the usually flat handle end of an veating utensil whereby at times when 5 the forward end of the eating utensil is disposed substantially below the handle end thereof said amusement device will swing into a positionat said opening.

Referencesicited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1). 97,344 ,Westgate Oct. 29, 1935 1,176,248 Rottner et'al. Mar. 21, 1916 2,455,266 Nudelman Nov. 30, 1948 26 2,505,380 Blefeld Apr. 25, 1950 2,546,227 Leonard Mar. 27, 1951 

